The villagers had prepared a large supply of food in native dishes
which they had sent with their leader and his companions. So that
evening we all feasted in picnic style on the ground alongside of our
ship. Of course, among our supplies we still had much canned and dried
food which we had brought with us from the Earth, but we have used
comparatively very little of it since landing here on the Moon because
all these natives have been so good to us. Also this native food is
really good, and feasting with these people is a real delight for they
are so enthusiastic and joyous in all that they do.
While eating and having such a wonderful time, we expressed the
wish that we had some way by which we could send the voice of the
chieftains, as well as pictures of them and their people to the Earth,
for we would like to have all of our Earthly friends enjoy these
experiences with us. But up till now all messages have been sent by
code.
Johnny, a very brilliant young chap, suddenly got an idea and decided
to see what he could do about it. Leaving us to continue our eating and
merry-making, he went within the ship to work out his idea, which he
said had come to him at the observatory. It was something in connection
with the workings of the big telescope as he had seen it, but he didn't
tell us more than that.
During the course of the evening, the white chieftain showed us some
magic tricks, in the way of entertaining us. These were different from
anything we had ever seen on Earth. We called them tricks, but he
claimed they were genuine since he possessed powers which we Earth men
did not understand. Afterward some of the natives danced a very cute
little dance to the accompaniment of chanting.
Johnny missed all this entertainment because he was busy inside the
ship. At this point he came out and informed us that he had hooked up
the radio broadcasting set in a new way with the radar. He asked us to
be quiet for a little while as he was going to try the test. First he
sent a radar signal to the Earth indicating what he was about to do and
asking them to give close attention for this experiment was something
entirely different than anything he had ever heard of being tried
before. Then he began to speak through the microphone.
Quickly the Earth radared back, saying they have heard his voice
clearly and could understand his words.
That turned the trick.
At this, he told his listeners on Earth that he was going to put on the
chieftain of the white tribe from the dark side of the Moon.
They radared back asking him to hold off the experiment for fifteen
minutes. This would give them time to alert all radio stations of the
world that they too might be on the beam and broadcast directly to the
peoples of the world what we were sending from their Moon, which they
had so long considered dead and uninhabitable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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